Last.fm users now have access to Spotify’s 20M song library

Last.fm has forged a new partnership with Spotify that will give its users access to Spotify’s large library of on-demand tracks, the servicesannounced today.

The partnership will allow Last.fm users to log in to their free or premium Spotify accounts and highlight tracks from certain artists that will now be available on-demand via a streaming player embedded on Last.fm’s site.

Spotify’s library of music includes 20 million tracks, which is much smaller than Last.fm’s 700 million tracks. However, Spotify’s library is made up primarily of well-known artists with established followings, while Last.fm’s library focuses on new music from artists that haven’t been discovered by the general population.

The partnership actually makes a lot of sense for both organizations. Spotify is gaining a new base of listeners that aren’t as interested in mainstream music. Last.fm, on the other hand, now has access to a ton of new mainstream music for its users. And while nothing was mentioned by either company, I’m guessing this move will allow Last.fm to further reduce its spending on expensive licensing deals. Such a move would also line up with Last.fm’s decision to pull music from YouTube rather than its own library.

This isn’t the first time Last.fm has teamed up with Spotify. The service also launched its own Last.fm app on Spotify’s platform back in 2012.